Anthrax fue fundada el 17 Julio de 1981 por los guitarristas Scott Ian y Dan Lilker.

Ellos
encontraron el nombre en un libro de biología y nombraron asi la banda por sonarles el nombre
lo suficientemente maligno. El vocalista John Connelly se unió y un bajista llamado Kenny
Kushner y un baterista llamado Dave Weiss. Kenny fue remplazado muy rápido por Paul Kahn,
cuyo desempeño no contentó a la banda y Danny Lilker tomó el bajo y Greg Walls se unió como
segunda guitarra. John Connelly y Weiss dejaron la banda y fueron remplazados por Greg
D’Angelo en la batería y luego de una serie de vocalistas que incluyó al hermano de Scott, Jason
Rosenfeld, encontraron a Neil Turbin.

Esta formación tocaba frecuentemente en el área y tocaban canciones inéditas como “Satan’s
Wheels” (una canción sobre drogas) y “Hunting Dogs” y covers de Iron Maiden, Judas Priest,
Kiss y otras. Esa formación grabó un demo en Julio de 1982. Greg Walls se fue el verano del 83 y
su remplazo fue Bob Berry por unas cuantas giras.

Entonces Dan Spitz (previamente en Overkill) se unió a la banda y Bob Berry salió. Con Spitz
grabaron el segundo demo. En Septiembre, Charlie Benante remplazó a Greg d’Angelo en la
batería. Esta formación grabó el single 7" Soldiers Of Metal. El lado B tiene un demo con Greg
D’Angelo, siendo la única grabación “oficial” con ese baterista.

Esa grabación les posibilitó un trato con Megaforce Records, con el cual grabaron su álbum
debut Fistful Of Metal casi finalizando 1983. Se lanzó en Febrero del 84 y siguió un Tour por
USA, en el cual Danny Lilker y Neil Turbin tuvieron diferencias y Lilker deja la banda y forma
Nuclear Assault con John Connelly no sin antes formar parte de numerosos proyectos como
Brutal Truth, Hemlock, Holy Moses y otros.

Frank Bello (sobrino de Charlie) se unió a la banda en el bajo y finalmente Turbin fue despedido
en Julio de 1984 muy cerca al final del tour. Las últimas fechas cantó Matt Fallon.

A fines de 1984, la banda tenia 4 integrantes y se llamaba The Diseased con Scott en los vocales.
Tocaban algunos covers de punk como "See Nothing, Hear Nothing, Say Nothing" de Discharge
de la cual existe una grabación.

Entonces Joey Belladonna llega a la banda y se graba el EP Armed and Dangerous, agregando
algunas grabaciones con Neil Turbin. El debut de Joey fue el 22 de Febrero de 1985.

Later in 1985, Scott and Danny Lilker appeared on the Stormtroopers of Death album Speak
English or Die. An Anthrax album, Spreading the Disease came soon after with US and European
tours following.
 In late 1986, Among the Living was recorded and released in January of 1987. This resulted in
another European tour with Metallica and Metal Church as well as some US touring. The I Am
the Law single sold very well due to the popularity of b-side "I'm the Man", a funny rap-rock
effort. This song was released as a US-only EP to coincide with the US tour in the summer of
1987. This would be the first foray into the world of rap.

1988's State of Euphoria brought more touring with funk metal act Living Colour in support.
Then 1990's Persistence of Time was another success, though the recording sessions were a bit
interesting, marked by the 1989 Bay Area earthquake and also a fire. Anthrax opened for Iron
Maiden in Europe and co-headlined the Clash of the Titans tour in '91 in the US with Slayer,
Megadeth and opener Alice in Chains. Another tour followed with rap act Public Enemy, which
featured live collaborations on the P.E. songs "Bring the Noise" and "Too Much Posse".

Anthrax then recorded an EP called Attack of the Killer B's with some new material including an
update of "I'm the Man" and a cover of "Bring the Noise" (originally by legendary rappers Public
Enemy) as well as some live footage from the Persistence of Time tour. Joey did very little on
this EP, demonstrating a great rift between he and the band. Scott performed most of the
vocals on the two rap songs and also the anti-censorship song "Starting Up a Posse".

In 1992, Joey was fired from the band and John Bush (Armored Saint) was brought in for the
Sound of White Noise album in 1993. In 1994, Dan Spitz left the band and became a born-again
Christian and a watchmaker in Switzerland!

Dimebag Darrell (guitars, Pantera) helped out with some studio tracks on the 1995 album
Stomp 442 and 1998's Volume 8: The Threat is Real. For touring, Paul Crook was brought in,
who also did some studio tracks on Volume 8. Charlie Benante also played guitars on the studio
albums. A greatest hits album, Return of the Killer A's, was recorded in 2000 and featured a
new song, "Ball of Confusion". The Temptations cover featured both John Bush and Joey
Belladonna on vocals. A tour was planned with both singers, but Joey pulled out.

Nonetheless, Anthrax toured with Megadeth and Mötley Crüe in 2000 until the Crue
unceremoniously booted them off the bill to expand the length of their own set. Undeterred,
Anthrax performed at Thrash of the Titans in 2001 and also opened up for Judas Priest in 2001-
2002. After the terrorist incidents of late 2001, Scott Ian jokingly mentioned on the official
website that the band has changed their name to Basket Full of Puppies. This was in response
to a joke made by Jay Leno.

The album We've Come For You All was released in 2003, followed by the live album Music of
Mass Destruction in 2004. Also in 2004, Frankie Bello took some time off from Anthrax after 20
years in the band. Joey Vera filled on a touring basis.

On April 1, 2005 Anthrax announced a reunion of the "classic line-up" consisting of Belladona,
Bello, Benante, Ian, and Spitz. This lasted until 2007 when Belladonna and Spitz departed again,
though Bello stayed around. Rob Caggiano then rejoined along with new vocalist Dan Nelson.
Caggiano and John Bush had both expressed displeasure (Caggiano more vocally) at the
handling of the reunion and Bush declined the invitation to return.

Nelson left for unspecified reasons in 2009 after Anthrax had already completed work on their
next album. John Bush stepped in for a few live appearances before Joey Belladonna joined for
the third time in May 2010.

Scott Ian appeared on the VH1 Rock Honors playing bass in an all-star band paying tribute to
Kiss. The line-up of the band was Rob Zombie (White Zombie)-vocals, Slash (Guns'N'Roses,
Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit)-guitar, Gilby Clarke-guitar, Ace Frehley (Kiss)-guitar,Tommy
Lee (Mötley Crüe, Methods of Mayhem)-drums.

Unofficial Discography:

- Soldiers of Metal - Live in Ridderkerk, Holland (lp, 19.05.86)

Compilation Appearances:

- "Metal Thrashing Mad" on Metal Hammer (Metal Hammer/Roadrunner, 1984)

- "Deathrider" on Hell Comes to Your House (Music For Nations, 1984)

- "Panic" (Joey Belladonna audition tape live in the studio) on From the Megavault (Megaforce,
1985)

- "Soldiers of Metal" on 12 Commandments in Metal (Roadrunner, 1985)

- "Gung-Ho" on Speed Kills II - The Mayhem Continues (Music For Nations, 1986)

- "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)" on Power Chords Vol. 1 (Atlantic/Megaforce, 1987)

- "A.I.R." on The Very Best of Metal Hammer (Dino Music, 1987)

- "Indians" on Metal Meltdown (K-tel, 1988)

- "Caught in a Mosh" on Mega Metal (K-tel, 1989)

- "Metal Thrashing Mad" on Protect the Innocent - 30 Metal Monsters (Telstar, 1989)

- "I'm Eighteen" on Precious Metal (Stylus Music, 1989)

- "Soldiers of Metal" on Giants of Rock - The Metal Decade 1982-83 Vol. 2 (Teldec, 1990)

- "Madhouse" on Giants of Rock - The Metal Decade 1986-87 Vol. 4 (EastWest, 1991)

- "Make Me Laugh" on Giants of Rock - The Metal Decade 1988-89 Vol. 5 (EastWest, 1991)

- "Got the Time" on Red Hot Metal (Dover, 1991)

- "Across the River / Howling Furies" (live) on Deeper Into the Vault (Megaforce, 1991)

- "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" on The Beavis and Butthead Experience soundtrack
(Geffen , 1993)

- "Poison my Eyes" on Last Action Hero soundtrack (Columbia, 1993)